SAN ANTONIO -- ESPN 150 cornerback Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) has been committed to USC since July 16, but a lot has changed with the Trojans since then.

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Chief among them, at least as it pertains to Ramsey, is the now vacant defensive coordinator position once held by Monte Kiffin. That has caused Ramsey to consider other options.

“One big holdback is that I don’t know who the defensive coordinator is,” he said. “I really need to know that because that is who I will be playing for. I know they will have them by my official visit and I will be able to talk to him multiple times. That’s huge, I’m not going to lie.”

Ramsey (6-foot, 190 pounds) is the No. 1 player in Tennessee, No. 7 cornerback and No. 48 player overall. He has his official visit planned with USC on Jan. 18.
While he has promised the Trojans his last official visit, Ramsey does have the opportunity to take one more on Jan. 11. Florida State, Oregon and Auburn are the schools he is considering for that last spot.

“I am not sure if I’ll take it to be honest,” Ramsey said of a Jan. 11 official visit. “I just have to talk to my parents. I don’t know. Maybe I will take it -- I just don’t know where.”

Ramsey took his first official visit to Florida on Sept. 21, followed that up with one to Mississippi State on Nov. 30 and then to Washington on Dec. 7.

The fact that Ramsey still has schools coming after him despite being committed to a program as prestigious as USC has really flattered and humbled him.

“Schools say they are not going to give up until I sign a letter of intent,” he said. “It’s an honor that I worked hard for. For universities to recognize that is big. They don’t have to pay for my college. But it’s not that crazy. The craziest part is the new schools that call. Like I’ve had some call in the last few weeks and I’m like ‘I’m sorry but it’s too late.’”

The sales pitch from each school is a little different but they tend to all center around the focus of early playing time.

“Every school has a different approach,” he said. “Especially now since [Florida State] got Coach [Jeremy] Pruitt, who recruited me at Alabama. That’s the system that they run anyway.

“Alabama is selling me on that I could develop. They said I could develop so I would be better when I left.

“Florida State is telling me that they are low on corners. So you could start and still develop over the four years. I would have more tape and more experience. Really with all of the teams it’s early playing time. Also coaches wanting bigger-type corners like myself.”